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In Brief: Global air transport demand declined 0.8% year-on-year in August 2026, as a sharp downturn in the Middle East interrupted the region’s recent recovery. Middle Eastern carriers reported a 14.6% drop in demand compared with August 2025, reversing the improving trend seen in previous months.
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Global Air Passenger Demand Grows 0.2% in July – Image Credit Unsplash+
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for August 2026 global passenger demand:
- Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down 0.8% compared to August 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 0.6%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased 0.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.1% (-0.9 ppt compared to August 2025).
- International demand fell 0.9% compared to August 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.3%. Capacity was flat (0.0%) year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.0% (-0.8 ppt compared to August 2025).
- Domestic demand fell 0.5% compared to August 2025. Capacity increased 0.7% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.3% (-1.1 ppt during the same reference period).
“Global demand for air transport contracted by 0.8% compared to August 2025 as the recovery trajectory for carriers in the Middle East was interrupted. The region’s carriers reported that demand was 14.6% lower year-on-year, reversing an improving trend.
Excluding the Middle East carriers, demand for air travel grew by 0.6% year-on-year in August, half the pace seen in July. With some important exceptions such as domestic China, global connectivity was generally weaker in August. The coming months will reveal whether travelers, whose purchasing power has been reduced by higher energy prices, are adjusting their travel budgets, and might be discouraged from traveling due to the prevailing geopolitical instability. In the meantime, forward schedules for October are showing cautious optimism with 2.0% growth in available seats,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability, and Chief Economist.
Air Passenger Market in Detail August 2026 (% year-on-year) World Share1 RPK ASK PLF(%-PT)2 PLF(Level)3
| Total Market | 100% | -0.8% | 0.3% | -0.9 | 85.1% |
| Africa | 2.2% | 4.4% | 7.2% | -2.1 | 77.5% |
| Asia-Pacific | 34.4% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.1 | 85.9% |
| Europe | 26.7% | 0.7% | 1.4% | -0.6 | 87.5% |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 5.4% | 5.3% | 6.3% | -0.8 | 84.0% |
| Middle East | 9.5% | -14.6% | -9.3% | -4.9 | 78.9% |
| North America | 21.8% | -2.2% | -1.0% | -1.0 | 84.6% |
1) % of industry RPK in 2025 2) Year-on-year change in load factor 3) Load Factor Level
Regional Breakdown – International Passenger Markets
International RPK fell 0.9% year-on-year, with capacity unchanged. However, excluding the Middle East carriers, total demand rose 1.3% on the same basis.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 0.1% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity decreased 0.9% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.6% (+0.7 ppt compared to August 2025). Traffic on routes within Asia fell 2.0% and capacity declined for the fourth month in a row. By contrast, traffic on the Asia-North America corridor grew by 2.5%.
European carriers saw a 2.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity rose 2.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.6 ppt compared to August 2025). The Europe-Asia corridor continued to expand strongly (+12.2%) but transatlantic routes fell 2.4%, with traffic declining from several markets including the UK and France.
North American carriers saw a decrease in demand of 1.7% year-on-year. Capacity decreased 1.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.5 ppt compared to August 2025).
Middle Eastern carriers saw a 14.2% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity fell 9.0% year-on-year, and the load factor was 79.1% (-4.8 ppt compared to August 2025). The decline in traffic worsened in August, reversing the trend of gradual stabilization since the Iran war in February. The year-on-year contraction on Middle East-Asia routes, for example, accelerated to -11.7% from -8.6% in July.
Latin American airlines achieved a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 6.4% year-on-year. The load factor was 84.8% (+0.2 ppt compared to August 2025).
African airlines saw a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 8.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 78.4% (-1.2 ppt compared to August 2025).
Domestic Passenger Markets
Domestic RPK fell 0.5% in August 2026 compared to the same month last year. Domestic travel in Japan and the United States fell, and there was a particularly sharp contraction in India (-7.5%). Chinese domestic travel strengthened, supported by summer travel demand.
August 2026 (% year-on-year) World Share1 RPK ASK PLF(%-PT)2 PLF(LEVEL)3
| Domestic | 37.2% | -0.5% | 0.7% | -1.1 | 85.3% |
| Domestic Australia | 0.8% | 2.3% | 0.4% | 1.6 | 85.8% |
| Domestic Brazil | 1.2% | 4.3% | 8.0% | -2.9 | 82.1% |
| Domestic China P.R. | 11.3% | 5.8% | 6.5% | -0.5 | 85.7% |
| Domestic India | 1.7% | -7.5% | -1.2% | -5.4 | 78.7% |
| Domestic Japan | 1.0% | -2.0% | -2.1% | 0.1 | 90.0% |
| Domestic United States | 13.6% | -2.9% | -1.1% | -1.5 | 83.0% |
1) % of industry RPK in 2025 2) Year-on-year change in load factor 3) Load Factor Level
View the August 2026 Air Passenger Market Analysis (pdf)
- Explanation of measurement terms:
- RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers measures actual passenger traffic
- ASK: Available Seat Kilometers measures available passenger capacity
- PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used
